1/48 Testors Canadian CF-18AM

Gallery Article by Ken Middleton on Sept 12 2011

 

1/48 Testors F/A-18A Converted to a Canadian CF-18AM

I have wanted to build a Canadian Hornet for a long time, and when the "On Canadian Wings" Group Build was on ARC, I decided it was time. I used the 1/48th Testors kit, and made the modifications for a CF-18A and to bring it up to the CF-18AM standard. This included adding the search spotlight using Hasegawa F/A-18 parts, blade-shaped tail stiffeners, 5 blade antennae in front of the cockpit, fuselage-spine blade antennae and rectangular wing stiffeners. For the markings, I chose Leading Edge decals' 425 Squadron out of Bagotville. Special thanks to Sean Bratton for sending me the sheet a few years back! I also want to thank Charlie "Cheetah" and Dan Williams for their help and inspiration.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

I also decided to make it in-flight, and wanted to have weapons on it depicting an air defense configuration, much like some photos I had seen on the Canadian Forces website. I used 2 AIM-9 Sidewinders and 2 AIM-7 Sparrows, decaled with Two Bobs missile decals, and with 2 fuel tanks.

I painted it using Tamiya spray - Light Ghost for the lighter grey, and Medium Grey for the darker grey.

The Leading Edge decals are nice, but did not adhere well, or respond well to setting solution with silvering being common. Based on that, I left many of the small stencils off knowing they would not work very well. I used the false canopy decals from the Testors kit.

Knowing most Canadian Hornets are pretty weathered, I used a water based dark grey wash and went heavy on it. Letting it dry in some places without wiping it off gave me the effect I wanted, actually by accident.

I then finished up the display base with a printed label affixed in an acrylic frame.

Thanks for looking.

Ken Middleton

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

  

  

  

Photos and text © by Ken Middleton